Water Disputes In The Southeastern Plain Ofhenan Province During The Qing Dynasty

The southeast plain of Henan province is flat with fertile soil,warm and humid climate,moderate rainfall,abundant hydrothermal resources,which is suitable for the growth of a variety of crops,so it has long been an important agricultural area.However,due to the climate,terrain,river and other factors,flood disasters are frequent in the southeast plain of Henan province in the Qing dynasty.But because it is located in our country north and south climate transition zone,the monsoon activites are remarkable and the weather fluctuation is violent.The intensity of rainstorm is large,the precipitation is concentrated and the spatial and temporal distribution is uneven,so flood disasters are very easy to happen in summer and autumn.The southeast plain of Henan province is flat,and the transition zone between the mountain and the plain is short,so the ability of natural regulation of mountain flood is low,and once floods break out and dams burst,the floods pour down and become serious in the southeast plain of Henan province.Affected by the terrain,after the river enters the plain area,the river gradient suddenly becomes slow,coupled with shallow silt and narrow channel,so once widespread heavy rainfall,the ability to drain flood capacity is poor,thus it will accumulate in the depression,and eventually,flood disasters will be formed.In the Qing dynasty,flood disputes occur frequently in the southeast plain of Henan province.In order to prevent and control flood disasters,local residents repair the dams to block water,burst the dams to drain water,and dig rivers and ditches.However,in the process of flood control and drainage,there are often different interest demands between upstream and downstream,left and right banks and administrative divisions.If not handled propertly,there will lead to water disputses,mass fights and standing litigation.In addition,in the process of coordinated water control,there are lots of problems,such as cost apportion,labor allocation,recruitment management and so on.There are huge differences in population and resource conditions,and the interests pursued are not the same,so if the government can't give overall consideration,there will inevitably be disagreements and even have fierce conflictsDue to the wide scope of the water disputes,involving the complicated interests between upstream and downstream,left and right bank,and administrative divisions,therefore the vast majority of the water disputes are under relying on the involvement of the local government and are solved with the help of the authority of the state.Local governments play an irreplaceable role in this process and often become the subject of water dispute resolution,especially in the process of coordinating and dealing with water disputes between administrative divisions,the officials in the states and countries often argue for the interests of their own jurisdiction,"each has his own private people and each has his own opinions",so it is difficult to reach a consensus on the solution.Therefore,it is necessary for provincial and prefectural officials to make overall consideration and coordinate the settlement.In the process of coordinating and solving the water disputes between administrative divisions,the higher level governments often do not directly carry out administrative adjudication,but come forward to negotiate and preside over administrative mediation.If consensus cannot be reached through negotiation and adjustment for many times,the superior government will usually resort to settle disputes by administrative adjudication in order to maintain local stability.Although sometimes the local government's ruling can not consider the interests of all parties,and solve the flood control and drainage problems from the source,thus resulting in the frequent water disputes,it will avoid the further intensification of water conservancy contradiction and maintain social stability to a certain extent.